Falling After Marriage - Chapter 68

Chapter 68: I Will Save You at All Costs

Under the shroud of rain, the black Maybach tore through the night like a spear, splashing water as if whispering the driver’s unquenchable fury.

Cheng Sangluo’s nerves were stretched to the breaking point. Even after blowing through several red lights, she had no intention of letting off the gas. She glanced repeatedly at Lin Jin’s phone; the navigation tracking alarm blared incessantly, a shrill, piercing noise that clawed at her sanity.

That frantic sound tugged at her heartstrings every second, leaving her mind in a chaotic tangle. She couldn’t pinpoint the source of this suffocating tension—she only felt her heart lodged in her throat, unable to ease the sickening feeling of weightlessness as her breathing grew labored.

While focused on the road, her composure was a thin veil over a heart full of worry for the “madwoman.” Simultaneously, questions swirled: why did Lin Jin have a military-grade tracking system on her phone?

“Subject is within safe range. Alarm deactivated.”

As the car pulled into a sprawling container port following the navigation, the annoying alarm finally died down. Cheng Sangluo stopped the car and studied the phone. Although the alarm was off, the map remained. This system was far more precise than commercial GPS; the arrow pointed toward a target less than 800 meters away, updating the surrounding environment in real-time as she moved.

Through the windshield, she scanned the horizon. The port was endless, filled with stacks of containers. The rain intensified, accompanied by a flash of white lightning and the rolling rumble of thunder.

Cheng Sangluo was certain Lin Jin was hidden in one of those containers, but the weather made her chest tighten. She was as cold as ice on the surface, but her anxiety showed in her hands—her knuckles were white, and the veins on the back of her hands bulged as she gripped the phone. Perhaps the anxiety came from the weather, knowing the “madwoman” feared storms like this.

She took several deep breaths, forcing herself into a state of absolute calm. Drawing from her mission experience, she planned her approach. Having suffered during a solo fight at Port 17 last time, she decided to be more cautious. She would use guerrilla tactics, but the prerequisite was knowing the terrain.

Without wasting a moment, she pocketed the phone and rummaged through the Maybach’s trunk. She found a small emergency glass-breaking hammer. She gripped it and swung it; it would be enough to take down a few people.

Thanks to the real-time updates, Cheng Sangluo moved precisely through the maze of containers without getting lost. She moved fast and undetected. For a veteran, this lack of resistance wasn’t a good sign; it likely meant Xu Songheng’s men were concentrated in one spot.

She was right. A swarm of thugs stood guard in front of a specific container. Despite the torrential rain, they patrolled back and forth. Cheng Sangluo leaned against a blind spot, counting heads and calculating a breakthrough. She looked up at the rain washing over her face, realizing the weather could serve as a distraction to loosen the guards’ focus.

A plan sparked. She moved quickly through the dark alleys, circling to the back of the container most likely holding Lin Jin. With agile movements, she easily scaled the iron box. The rain masked her noise, but to be safe, she slipped off her shoes and crawled forward on her stomach.

She considered several plans. Plan A: A direct brawl. It was an old method, but the odds weren’t great—she didn’t know the situation inside, and alerting everyone could put Lin Jin in more danger. She slapped her forehead and hissed, “Don’t be reckless, think harder.”

Plan B: A more aggressive gamble. If there were only a few people inside, she could burst in and trap them. This would give her the element of surprise. She could hold them off until backup arrived or bluff that she had already called the police. Faced with the law, most thugs would scatter.

She pressed her ear to the metal, straining to listen. Her senses were sharp; even through the rain, she could distinguish footsteps and count the occupants by their movements.

Meanwhile, inside the pitch-black container.

The air was thick with the stench of damp mold. Leather shoes clicked against the iron floor. Lin Jin was tied to a chair, blindfolded with thick burlap and gagged. She had no idea where she was and couldn’t make a sound. During the kidnapping, Xu Songheng’s men had been rough; her neck had been grazed by something sharp, and dried blood now matted her hair, emphasizing her vulnerability.

As her consciousness wavered, she felt a cold touch on her face—several insulting pats. Xu Songheng flipped his dagger, dragging the back of the blade across her cheek. “Such a beautiful face,” he mocked. “I wonder if a few scars would make it even more interesting?”

“Ngh…” Lin Jin couldn’t speak. She weakly turned her head away, but she couldn’t escape the blade.

Xu Songheng grabbed her chin and pressed the tip of the knife to her throat. “Stop struggling. It’s useless. Who do you think is coming to save you? Sheng He is ours, and Cheng Sangluo has been dealt with. Everything ends tonight. Don’t blame me for being ruthless; blame your brother. We can only have peace if you’re dead.”

Despite his threats, the sinister man wasn’t in a hurry to kill her. He loosened his tie and used the dagger to flick open the buttons of Lin Jin’s shirt. “You’re dying anyway. Might as well let the boys have some fun first—”

“Mmph! Mmph!” Lin Jin’s breathing quickened in protest. Feeling the sharp blade move against her neck, she struggled frantically, the edge nearly slicing her skin.

Xu Songheng pulled back just in time, grabbing her by the back of the neck and snarling, “You still have strength to fight? Stop pretending. Believe it or not, I’ll take you right here.” He turned to his guards. “What, want a front-row seat? Get out!”

The guards looked at each other and quickly exited, not wanting to spoil the boss’s “fun.”

Cheng Sangluo, still prone on top of the container, heard the vile words. Her grip on the hammer tightened. She was frantic but forced herself to wait for the perfect moment.

The moment she heard the rusted creak of the door, she stood up. As a bolt of white lightning split the sky, she leaped down. Her timing was perfect; the two men exiting served as cushions. They crashed to the ground under her weight, groaning in pain. Cheng Sangluo also felt a sharp pang in her knees, but she didn’t stop. She snatched a baseball bat from one of them and ducked into the container before the other thugs realized what happened.

She slammed the bolt shut, locking the crowd outside. The pitch-black container fell into total darkness.

Xu Songheng, caught in his twisted fantasy, was infuriated by the interruption. Not knowing what happened outside, he stomped toward the door. “You useless idiots, what are you doing?”

Cheng Sangluo was like a wolf in the shadows, her back against the door, waiting for her enemy to walk into her trap. She had locked the danger outside; in this dark room, she was the threat—Xu Songheng’s living nightmare.

As Xu Songheng reached for the door, frantic banging started from the outside. Muffled shouts drifted in: “Cheng Sangluo… it’s her… she’s inside!” “Break the door down!”

Xu Songheng gasped. “Cheng Sangluo?!”

In that instant of shock, Cheng Sangluo lunged, grabbing his wrist with an iron grip. Her terrifying face appeared in his blurred vision.

“Surprised, Xu Songheng?” Cheng Sangluo clicked on her phone light. She wanted to see exactly how she would settle every old and new grudge. Her eyes flared with murderous intent; her cold smile was half-contempt, half-cruelty. “Even if I spend the rest of my life in prison, you and I are settling this tonight.”

“You! Sheng He said you were—gaaah!” Before he could finish, Cheng Sangluo slammed her knee into his arm, snapping the bone until it hung limp by the skin and muscle.

She looked at Lin Jin, whose collar was torn open, and a fresh wave of fury surged. She grabbed Xu Songheng by his tie and dragged him over to Lin Jin, roaring, “Which hand touched her? Which hand!”

Xu Songheng, never physically strong and now with a broken arm, rolled on the floor in agony. “Let me go… I’ll tell them to let you go!”

Ignoring his cowardly pleas, Cheng Sangluo tore the blindfold and gag off Lin Jin. She cupped Lin Jin’s face with heart-aching tenderness. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. Nothing will happen.”

Her vision restored, Lin Jin looked at her savior, her eyes filling with tears of grievance and terror. No matter how strong she was, her defenses had shattered when the dagger touched her buttons. She had been terrified of being defiled, of Cheng Sangluo seeing her in such a state.

Cheng Sangluo used the dagger to slice through Lin Jin’s ropes. The moment she was free, Lin Jin buried her face in Cheng Sangluo’s waist. Though she kept whispering “I’m fine,” her trembling embrace revealed her absolute dependence.

“I promised you, no matter how many times or where you are, I will save you at all costs. See? I didn’t break my word.” Cheng Sangluo stroked Lin Jin’s hair, gently wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “Don’t cry. We’re leaving soon. I promise no one will hurt you again.”

She turned and ground her boot into Xu Songheng’s broken arm, eliciting a more pathetic wail. Knowing he couldn’t beat a trained professional, Xu Songheng scrambled to his feet and sprinted for the door. Cheng Sangluo hurled the baseball bat with immense force, hitting him squarely in the head and knocking him down.

She walked over to him. A person of action doesn’t waste words. She simply looked back at Lin Jin and said softly, “Close your eyes.”

“You… what are you doing…” Xu Songheng’s head was pinned to the floor by her hand as he clawed at her collar.

“What am I doing?” Cheng Sangluo pinned him with her knee and pulled out the dagger. “You seem to really enjoy filthy things…” She leaned down and whispered, “What did you promise Lin Sheng? That you’d do a beautiful job tonight? It seems you failed again.”

Xu Songheng’s eyes bulged. “How… how do you know…”

“Funny thing—I was a guest at your house the other day. You really should work on your hospitality.” Cheng Sangluo gave a vague hint about her infiltration. “Anyway, since you love filthy acts so much, I should make sure you can’t repeat them. Making sure you have no descendants is my greatest contribution to society.”

Cheng Sangluo struck with ruthless precision. With a low growl, the dagger that had touched Lin Jin’s clothes was plunged directly into Xu Songheng’s crotch.

“AAAAAAGH!” Xu Songheng’s eyes shot with blood as he clutched his groin, his screams tearing through the air.

Lin Jin limped over to Cheng Sangluo, unsure whether to stop the violence or let her bloodlust run its course. But Cheng Sangluo hadn’t lost her mind. She hauled the agonizing Xu Songheng up to use him as a shield.

“Lin Jin, grab my hem. Stay behind me. We’re leaving.”

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